A good sky with some clouds, but a good blue background. The sun is thinking about rising, but there is one large cloud that is still hovering. I am sure it will disappear soon and then we will have a sunny day. I do not mind as long as it does not rain, althoiugh I am not really planning to go anywhere at the moment. I will have to search for my gloves before my next journey. I noticed when travelling with a cross wind on the scooter it can get a little cold. It is also now time for a scarf, yes Winter is just around the corner. I callecd the doc yesterday and will be having my very first flu jab next week. I never bothered up to now, but becoming a golden oldie makes me safer.

As you can see the sparrows are everywhere since I have begun to feed them.

Now and again they give a flight demonstration.

In the meanwhile the magpie watches from the tree. As soon as it sees something worth munching it does a very quick dive down, snaps it in the beak and disappears to eat it on its own. Birds do not seem to be the sharing kind, especially when it concerns food.

As I am writing this the radio is in the background, All I can hear with the advertisements is getting ready for Christmas – already, organising the food, the decorations and the gifts. I have really become a Christmas grinch and will be glad when it is over. At least this year it mostly falls at the week-end. I do not celebrate Christmas for myself, just to keep the others happy. My main problem would be organising the food, but as it is just the three of us, that will be no great task. I can organise the meat and freeze it now and create the sweet stuff myself. Christmas gift shopping is for the grandchildren, I need no Christmas gifts, I have everything I need. I do not partake in the Christmas mania.

I have discovered that I just love the cooking programmes on the TV – the british TV. Last week Rick Stein, one of their cooks, was showing his experiences in Shanghai, China and made it all look so easy and tasty, so I will be organising some ginger roots for the kitchen. I already have the soya sauce. It seems that the Chinese like to cook with Spring Onions in their dishes. That is something I use through the Summer, but now is Winter, so I will probably use leek instead. There are also two British guys called the hairy bikers who travel around on their heavy motor bikes visiting various places. This time the series is based in the North of England: Newcastle, Manchester etc. They visit stores with the original products and various farms showing the various products, and eventually return to their place and cook the original recipes. It all looks so interesting and appetising. I hope they have a cook book somewhere so that I can try some of their dishes. I am always interested in trying something new.

And now I should move on and deal with the deaily chores. Dinner does not cook itself and I have my orchids to water, also a few other plants. Everything is now indoors. My dining room table has now become an orchid refuge center. Have a good day, and naturally a good week-end – so take it easy.